I've Got Love For Gin if it Was Mixed in the 80's....

I sometimes feel mixology is taken a little too seriously, bartenders often forget to appreciate certain ingredients or drinks for the part they have played in broadening peoples horizons to the world of mixed drinks. I also feel this snobbery is more prominent with gin than any other spirit, Rum has the Tiki craze, a respectable alternative to the classic cocktail culture, vodka has the not so respectable disco era where it was abused by a wide array of fruity liquors or syrups to cover up any hint of alcohol where as gin with it's big bold flavours and a firm set of widely accepted serves, the gin and tonic and the martini has survived bastardisation relatively unscathed, well with the exception of the odd hiccup that is...

One ever so disco cocktail is the Blue Lagoon, commonly mixed up in 80's themed bars with vodka, blue curacao, and lemonade. The drink actually hails from one of the most inflencial bars for classic drinks, Harry's New York Bar in Paris. The original recipe was a simple mix of gin, blue curacao and fresh lemon, simply a gin sour with slight notes of orange and a cheeky colour. The original is delicious but a little far removed from the one served up throughout the era of cheese, perhaps an amalgamation of the two is in order for a drink worthy of sipping when donning bright leg warmers and singing along to to the Summer of 69...

The Blue Lagoon
Martin Millers Gin 75ml
Blue Curacao 20ml
Apricot Brandy 15ml
Lemon Juice 25ml
Soda Water Top

Shake all ingredients except soda, strain in to an curvaceous and slightly tacky glass, top with soda and garnish with a mint bush and the largest orange wheel you can craft.

The Blue Lagoon, Photographed by Sofia Miranda

Essentially a dry gin collins with a fruity hint of orange and apricot brandy, perfect for summer sipping. The addition of Apricot Brandy combines with the blue curacao to provide a little sweetness, balancing the drink without overpowering any other flavours. For my choice of gin, I found a hefty slug of Martin Millers to be a perfect match to the light citrus notes, adding that little extra something with the floral violet and spicy black pepper notes, making it a winning choice in the Blue Lagoon, and as for the orange wheel, a nod to Mr Humphery who I believe is fond of such garnishes...

So bright blue and fizzy out of the way the search continues for more disco for gin to boogie on down with, a surprisingly difficult task, leaving me in need of a a little improvisation...


Pre bartender snobbery the June Bug was a firm favourite of mine, a tropical mix of coconut rum, melon and banana liqueurs with pineapple juice, sweet, fruity and easy to drink. My sentimental feelings for this drink inclined me to craft a gin twist, but what gin could possibly replace a coconut rum in such an exotic beverage?

Actually, one does spiring to mind...

The Hoxton June Bug
Hoxton Gin 50ml
Midori 15ml
Banana Liquer 15ml
Lime Squeeze x 2
Freshly extracted pineapple juice 100ml

Shake all ingredients and strain in to a tall glass over ice, an over the top, half moon pineapple garnish is definitely essential.

The Hoxton June Bug, photographed by Sofia Miranda 

What can I say, a little more complex and less artificial than the June Bug's of old, the coconut notes are noticeable yet far fresher than any coconut rum, the grapefruit notes of Hoxton cuts through the tropical fruity notes adding a degree of freshness with the juniper raising it's head at the finish. Very reminiscent of the tropical flavours of my uneducated drinking day's, an enjoyable blast from the past!

We Hope You Enjoy

Umpleby & Brown